Brad Katona Makes the Switch
Photo credit: UFC / UFC Fight Pass / Zuffa LLC
TAMPA, Fla. – In episode 10 of this season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Brad Katona decides to switch sides and join Team McGregor, and goes toe-to-toe with Team Chandler’s Timur Valiev.
At the beginning of Round One, Katona attacks first, using leg kicks and jabs to close the distance. He lands a left hook cleanly, pushing forward. The grappling begins as both fighters run into the cage, with Katona landing a double-leg takedown.
With the takedown, he exposes his head and neck as Timur sinks in a guillotine choke from the bottom, but Katona will not quit. He pops his head free and takes Timur’s back. This time it’s Timur who escapes, but Katona doesn’t back up. He pushes forward, landing two hard left hooks.
As blood pours from Katona, he rocks Valiev with a clean right hook, pressuring him with combinations into the cage. The round ends with a takedown and kick to the body from Timur.
Round Two begins with combinations from Brad Katona, pressuring Timur into the cage, just like he did in Round One. Valiev attempts to go for a takedown, but Katona defends. Both men trade blows in the center of the octagon.
Valiev continues to go for a takedown, but Katona defends well, fending him off every time. Valiev pressures this time with calf kicks, which are loud enough to hear. Katona pressures, pushing Valiev into the cage, attempting to go for a takedown with less than a minute left in the round. The round ends with a huge hip toss from Valiev.
The final round is crucial for Katona, who is not throwing his right hand as much but lands some heavy shots to the body. It looks as though Katona is picking his shots, as he is not firing as many punches as he has been throughout the fight.
Timur seems to have found the weakness, as he keeps kicking the left leg of Katona, taking him down into the cage and taking his back. Katona, gushing blood, is exhausted, escaping the cage. With over a minute left, both fighters trade blows in the center of the octagon.
Katona pushes Timur into the cage, landing some punches, as he has control of Valiev’s right leg. The horn sounds, and the fight is over. After three rounds, they go to the judges’ scorecard for a decision, and the judges favor Brad Katona.
That is the second win for Team McGregor all season. Katona was the season 27 winner of “The Ultimate Fighter,” and with this win, he’s headed back to the finale.
On the next episode of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler go head-to-head in UFC trivia, followed by a lightweight showdown, with Jason Knight taking on Kurt Holobaugh, with the winner fighting Austin Hubbard in the lightweight finale.